Of Santas and Shopping Centers
by Baby Kitty
Summary: Zedd teaches Tommy the true meaning of Christmas...this can't go well. 'complete'


Disclaimer – Don't own anything, but a car, three cats, a laptop, and two college degrees… it's sad really.

Author's Notes – "On the fifth day of Christmas my muses gave to me, five Rangers drinking, four raptor riders, three teens a whining, two villains crying, and a Ranger in a slash pair-ing."

There's a mention of the Christmas special from season 2 or 3 in here. Whatever season it was that Zedd tried to steal Christmas. However by the Ranger's mentioned the time setting is clearly post DinoThunder.

Summary – Zedd teaches Tommy the true meaning of Christmas. Just a random Christmas one-shot with Zedd and Tommy.

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Of Santas and Shopping Centers

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"I'm just not certain as to why we have to be here." Came the disgruntled grumble from the black haired, purple eyed, black clothing clad individual that was clearly catching the attention of more than a handful of holiday shoppers. "Why can't we simply get your friends' gifts on the computer? Or better yet just give them credits or gem stones of some sort? Everyone likes gem stones."

"I think we've all had enough 'gems' to last us a life time after our last little stint in costume Zedd." Tommy stated seriously, his own red shirt and dark brown leather jacket helping him blend in a bit more with the crowd than his companion. "Besides, Hayley hates online shopping and it'd hurt her feelings to know I just clicked and dragged her purchase to a digital shopping cart on rather than went out and found her something special in person." The former ranger tried to explain, his already purchased bracelet with the sterling silver guitar charm for Kira and new set of Prisma Colors and sketch book for Trent sitting in the bags currently held in his hand.

"She doesn't have to know," Zedd tried again, frowning and doing his best not to shove or snap at the bustling people surrounding him.

"She'd know," Tommy stated seriously as he looked unhappily into the already packed toy store. "Crap, I think we're going to have to get Tammy's present in a bit, there's no way we're getting in there."

"Why Jason and Katherine named their first female offspring after you is beyond me," Zedd snickered, his hand finding Tommy's back and skillfully urging him away from the mob surrounding the toy store to a more clear area of the mall.

"What do you mean? I think it's flattering." Tommy said with a slight frown. "Besides I AM her godfather."

Realizing his slight teasing had not been received as such Zedd was quick to amend his statement. "I know you are, and you're a wonderful one at that. I didn't mean anything by it, honestly I was just teasing mate."

"Keep teasing like that and you're going to find yourself on Santa's naughty list, and NOT in a good way." Tommy teased back as they set off again; not catching Zedd's confused expression as they did.

"Who's list of what now?" Came the question as they moved past the center of the mall, where said holiday icon was seated, a line of children a mile long wrapping around his winter village and waiting for their turn to present their Christmas lists. "Hey what's all the fuss about?" Forgetting Tommy's comment and moving to the main attraction of the shopping center, Zedd examined the event with interest, earning more than a few distrusting and protective looks and gestures from the parents waiting with their children.

"Now if we go to the toy store on the way back out, we can get Tammy that moving cat stuffed animal she wants, and still have time to get to the Sports Collectibles store across town for Conner's signed soccer ball. Hayley said she was going to get Ethan's new game from her friend at the company, so that just leaves Hayley's present, right?" Walking as he spoke and planned out how to best get the remainder of their shopping done, Tommy failed to notice his missing companion for another moment.

"This hardly seems right," Zedd muttered not grasping Tommy's absence either, his focus lying on the large man in the red suit. "Why on Earth is he here?" Suddenly more than a tad curious and suspicious of why the eltarian toy maker had left his little insane asylum at the North Pole, Zedd hopped easily over the white fence separating the winter village from the rest of the mall to go and investigate.

"So what do you want to eat tonight?" Tommy asked pausing to check his watch. "I'm thinking Tai, but we can always go to that seafood place you like by the docks and…" Trailing off as he suddenly became aware Zedd was no longer with him, Tommy looked around the area he'd stopped in, his concern mounting at an alarming speed. "Zedd? Zedd where are you?"

"Zek what are you doing here?" Zedd asked in eltarian, worried about the safety of the children trying to pile on what he assumed was the 'real Santa', but also a rather unstable creature when not allowed to carry out his fantasy job.

"Zedd?" Back tracking quickly and using the remnants of his previous powers to feel out Zedd's, Tommy groaned loudly as he spotted the black leather of Zedd's duster between the low white fence planks of the village set up. "Damn it."

"Zek answer me, you KNOW you aren't supposed to be-"

"Get over here," Hand snatching Zedd's coat collar, Tommy yanked with nearly all of his strength hauling Zedd along the fence line and to the opening in it. Careful to avoid bumping any of the parents or children who were watching in concern, the former ranger got out a few quick apologies before all but dragging his mate away from the confused mall Santa and less than understanding civilians.

"But I just-"

"You were just about to pick a fight with Santa in the middle of the mall." Tommy hissed pulling Zedd into a small alcove and looking at his seriously. "What the hell were you thinking? You're supposed to be keeping a low profile Zedd. That was the deal. You move here, live with me, we try the relationship thing, and you keep a LOW PROFILE."

"But he's not supposed to be here, especially not with so many young ones around. He's could hurt them." Zedd protested in a huff, his eyes locked on the supposedly dangerous Santa a few yards away. "Besides that wasn't the deal."

"What?"

"That wasn't the deal." Zedd repeated. "The 'deal' as you call it involved me moving here with you and helping you rebuild the mess Zeltrax caused to your home, the relationship came all on its own, remember." Zedd stated with a slight smile. "Okay well wine and drunken twister helped at the time, but still."

Rubbing his eyes and trying his best not to throw the eltarian back into the crowd of shoppers and leave him there, Tommy shook his head slowly. "Fine, but keeping a low profile was still part of the original 'deal'. And beating up a mall Santa is NOT doing that."

"Again, he's a threat." Zedd repeated in exasperation.

"How exactly is he a threat?"

"You really didn't see?" Sighing at Tommy's confused and frustrated look, Zedd continued calmly. "Look I know he puts on a good show, and I know you were probably distracted that one year I tried to convince him to help me make my own line of toys-"

"Evil toys to brainwash children." Tommy corrected flatly.

"Whatever." Came the equally flat response. "Anyways, as I was saying I know you might have been distracted, however did you not grasp that Zek aka 'Santa' is not all there in the head?"

"What are you talking about?" Tommy questioned interest now overriding his concern and annoyance.

"Zek is eltarian, he came to Earth a hundred or so years ago when he fled Eltar. He liked the youngings a bit too much if you catch my meaning." Zedd said pointedly, giving Tommy a look, and knowing the former ranger understood by his own expression of disgust. "My thoughts exactly."

"So if he's outlawed on Eltar why did they let him stay here? Zordon clearly knew he was here and so did you? Why didn't one of you turn him in?"

"Because he wasn't really doing any harm here. He was sort of settled in with those elf creatures I can only imagine he picked up from another planet, and whatever he does with them seems to keep him from harassing the younglings of this world aside giving them harmless toys once in a while. Neither of us saw the harm." Zedd admitted. "Well until now. Had I known he was out and having young ones sitting on his lap and waiting in line to do so I would have put a stop to it earlier, however I will now if you're satisfied I wasn't just causing chaos to cause it now."

"Whoa there trigger," Grabbing Zedd's sleeve before he could take off again, Tommy shook his head. "Zedd I think it's really great you want to protect those kids, I honestly do, but THAT isn't Zek. That's just a random person who dressed up like the character this Zek plays and pretends to be him to make kids happy."

"What?" Looking more than a bit lost Zedd shook his head.

"Okay, let's see if I can explain this. At Christmas time, all of those kids that your friend-"

"He's not my friend."

Sighing Tommy gave a nod but continued anyways, "Okay, fine, well all of those kids that your not-friend brings presents to, they don't know his history Zedd, they think he's just a nice, magical, old man who comes once a year to bring them presents if they've been good. So every year around December the stores and malls hire normal humans to dress up and pretend to be him."

"Why do the children have to sit on his lap? They're not this human's younglings. Nor do they even know him." Zedd pointed out.

"Well, no, but okay you know how Tammy sits on my lap when we visit because she likes to be close to me, despite me not being her dad. That's how it is with these kids. They want to make certain they've got his full attention and it makes them feel special and so that they can ask for what they want for Christmas." Tommy tried to explain not liking how badly his explanation was sounding the more of it he gave.

Apparently not the only one to realize this, Zedd's brow raised slightly. "So they sit on a strange human's lap, that they don't know, they ask him for treats in exchange for doing this, and then it seems they actually get candy as a reward when it's over."

"I swear to the higher powers Zedd you are the only person alive who can turn Santa into a perverted old child molester." Tommy muttered, but not without the barest hint of amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"That's what you said about me claiming Rudolph's nose was the result of an illegal drug addiction." Zedd responded with a grin.

"And Frosty being the result of a Satanic ritual." Tommy added with a sigh, though it was clear he was unable to hold back a smile of his own now.

"Oh there was magic in that hat alright, EVIL magic." Zedd claimed, wiggling his fingers menacingly at his bed mate.

"I hate you."

Wrapping an arm around Tommy's shoulders, Zedd steered them away from their little corner and back into the throng of people. "Does that mean you don't want to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what you want for Christmas?"

"I thought you considered Santa a pervert?" Tommy said softly, not wishing the children around them to hear such a statement.

"Oh he is, but then so am I. And I figure if a human can pretend to be Santa, than there's no rule that says I can't get a hat and red coat and determine just how naughty or nice you are once we get back home." He offered, voice light for the first time since they started their outing.

"Oh really? And what do I get if I've been nice?" Tommy asked playing along and happy to see Zedd happy.

"Don't worry, you haven't been. Besides the prize for being naughty is way better anyways."

The End

Merry Christmas!


End file.
